Written With Love

Chapter 4: Lasting Hurt

After a few minutes, she calmed down, started the engine, and drove off. She took the rest of the day off and drove home. Kimberly may look like a neat woman but she was anything but that. Her house was a mess with clothes everywhere and stacks of old paperwork and work materials and packages everywhere. She lived alone and had given up on dating back in high school and had also become disconnected from her old-school cliques. She had friends at work and only there as she refused to meet them outside of that. She took off her suit jacket and pants before crawling into her bed and lying in a fetal position.  

She was frustrated that it was all coming back to her, especially after the therapy sessions she underwent to help her forget the biggest fuck up in her life to this date". As she lay there the memories of her and Wyatt came flooding back but one in particular haunted her the most.

[flashback] 

It was a golden, autumn evening as Kimberly anxiously stared at a blank notebook that was supposed to be filled with words for an essay that was due for English. She continued to sit there until Wyatt came up with a grin and said"I take it you're struggling with Mr. Miata's assignment huh?".She sighed and said"Yes" as he sat down and pulled up a chair next to her. He smiled and began explaining to her but she trailed off, not hearing a word he said. She was lost in his smile, his perfect caramel skin complexion, and his pretty white teeth. It had already been a few weeks since they had met that night yet this guy managed to keep her coming back without trying, or even noticing.

She was snapped out of her trance by Wyatt grabbing both her hands and asking if she was okay, to which she said"Yes". He smiled and said, "Okay, now show me your thesis papers and the information you collected in class...I know you did it, he forced everyone to do it".After she pulled out her papers, he said "All you have to do is create an introduction and organize the body paragraphs but don't worry I'll review as you go". There was something about his presence that put her at ease and gave her confidence as after an hour, she had finished and thanks to him she didn't need to revise it before submitting it. There was something about the tenderness in his voice and the smoothness of his hand gestures and enthusiasm that made her feel safe and comfortable 

After finishing the assignment, they talked for a bit before Wyatt had to go back to his shift and she left but some days she stayed around, reading comics or playing video games in one of the booths until closing. To her, it felt like a dream but to him, it was just a normal day except he had a new adoptive and sometimes annoying sister to care for. While it wasn't much to him, to her, the feelings were more intense yet she didn't know what they were as they were just a jumble of emotions but she knew one felt really good and it only happened around him and no matter what she had to do, she didn't want it to stop".

[End Flashback]

That memory hurt her and she could feel tears trickle down her face but before she broke out into tears, she felt this wave of resolve...she had found him again and no matter how long it took, she was going to make things right and show him that she's changed...or die trying". Meanwhile, Wyatt sat at his desk in his living room, contemplating what exactly to do. He knew he was expected to talk and work with her but just exactly how was he supposed to do that when she makes his blood boil and she acts like a new kid introducing herself to the class". 

Not knowing what to do, he called Diego and said"I know we discussed this already but how am I supposed to work a woman who makes my very blood boil?" Diego sighed and said, "Dude it's simple, stay on topic, speak only when spoken to and if she veers off from work, tell her please to remain on topic and for the sake of productivity". Wyatt was about to say something else but Diego interrupted him and said"If she gets physical or creates any other issues, just let us know and it'll be dealt with...it's simple now bye".

After hanging up, Wyatt laid down, himself, feeling drained. As he lay there he could swear he began to hear her devilish laugh and her taunting words."you're a loser...just die" echoed in his head as he too remembered everything she had done. He'll never forget the day she threw his bags off the room and had his car windows smashed out and got him wrongfully fired. He trusted her and told her some personal things and what did she do? She spat on all that and told everyone else.

He knew he wasn't in love with her but still, it hurt, it hurt that he was fooled, that he trusted her, that he offered her his friendship, and worst of all it hurt that after all his kindness she betrayed and spit on him. Nonetheless, he carried out the rest of his day, getting things ready and lousing around the house so that in his nervousness tomorrow, he wouldn't screw up". After all, a silent war was starting and he intended to claim final victory over his crushing defeat those many years ago at the hands of that woman.